Newspaper editor beaten up in Jacobabad

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(PPF/IFEX) - Abdul Rehman Afridi, editor of the local newspaper "Daily Sitara" in Jacobabad, and vice president of the Jacobabad Press Club in Sindh province, was beaten up by five persons on September 8, 2010, allegedly for publishing news stories about mismanagement in the distribution of relief material by the district government among flood victims.

Afridi said he was beaten up by supporters of Mir Aijaz Hussain Khan Jakhrani, the Federal Minister for Sports, who is a member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party led by his cousin, Wali Jakhrani.

According to press reports, Wali Jakhrani, along with his companions, entered the office of "Daily Sitara" and threatened Afridi with dire consequences if he published such news in his newspaper. They attacked Afridi by punching, kicking and beating him with wooden sticks. Afridi sustained injuries to his arms, shoulder, back and legs and was rushed to the local hospital for treatment.

Members of the Jacobabad Press Club, who contacted Federal Minister Jakhrani, did not receive a satisfactory response and were told the minister would investigate the matter. Afridi has also lodged a complaint with the police.

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This report is a baseline, a rst step for encouraging further advocacy eorts on the issue. We urge both the government and the civil society to take the challenge of addressing privacy rights as a serious and urgent priority towards ensuring the civil liberties of the citizens.

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